General News
30 April, 2026
MP slams state road blitz as short-sighted
SOUTH West Coast MP Roma Britnell has slammed the Victorian Government as “celebrating failure” following this week’s $1 billion road funding announcement.
Ms Britnell said the latest announcement was akin to repainting a wall which is rotting from within after the government announced a $1.04 billion investment in rebuilding, repairing and resurfacing roads as part of the upcoming Victorian Budget.
She said the emphasis on potholes showed the government’s approach was reactive, short-term and fundamentally flawed.
“This program doesn’t fix roads, it manages their failure,” Ms Britnell said.
“You don’t fix roads by chasing potholes.
“You fix roads by fixing roads.
“Potholes are what happen when governments stop maintaining infrastructure properly.
“This is like mopping the floor while the roof is still leaking – costly, repetitive and pointless.”
Ms Britnell said roads in the south west were of particular concern, as roads continued to deteriorate despite more funding and more crews.
“Good governments prevent potholes,” she said.
“They invest in resurfacing, drainage and long-term asset management.
“They fix the road properly once instead of the same hole ten times.
“What we are seeing in this Budget is not investment, it is an admission that the road network has been allowed to run down so badly that all the government can now do is manage the damage.”
Ms Britnell said funding allocations would not make a meaningful impact without a change in approach.
“They’re not investing in roads, they’re funding a cycle of decay,” she said.
“This isn’t a solution, it’s an admission they’ve let the network run down.
“We deserve roads that last, not potholes that keep coming back.”